EDITORIAL : MARS ATTACKS! MYSTERY SURROUNDS SECOND FAILED NASA MISSION TO RED PLANET.WHAT is it about Mars that brings out the worst in NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. ? Or maybe the question should be, why don't martians want earthlings circling their planet in search of water? Last week, the space agency mysteriously lost a $125 million robotic spacecraft A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe. , the first ever dispatched especially to investigate weather on another world. NASA launched the Mars Climate Orbiter The Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter) was one of two spacecraft in the Mars Surveyor '98 program, the other being the Mars Polar Lander (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander). to do a fly-by fly·by also fly-by n. pl. fly·bys A flight passing close to a specified target or position, especially a maneuver in which a spacecraft or satellite passes sufficiently close to a body to make detailed observations without of the martian atmosphere and search for the cold, arid planet's water resources. But the orbiter got too close to its subject - and disappeared. Six years ago, the same thing happened as a spacecraft from Earth tried to spy on the red planet. In that case, it was the $1 billion Mars Observer that suffered an eerily similar fate. NASA's blaming human or software error, not mechanical failure on the spacecraft. We're not so sure. Maybe it's because we're in L.A. where nothing is as it seems and nobody accepts responsibility for anything but we're suspicious about the official explanations. What are JPL's scientists covering up by taking the blame themselves? What's really going on over Mars? What will happen when a companion spacecraft, the Mars Polar Lander The Mars Polar Lander was part of the NASA Mars Surveyor '98 program, which consisted of two spacecraft launched separately, the Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter) and the Mars Polar Lander (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Lander). , reaches the planet Dec. 3? It is cruising on course for a landing at the edge of the south polar ice cap
Oh, sure, NASA succeeded in breaking through Mars' invisible shield a couple of years ago when the plucky pluck·y adj. pluck·i·er, pluck·i·est Having or showing courage and spirit in trying circumstances. See Synonyms at brave. pluck little Land Rover successfully landed on the planet and shot back pictures that looked like the Antelope Valley. But those were just picture postcards, not a reconnaissance mission to find water. We want answers! We want the truth! At least we want to have a little fun with the possibility before the weekly tabloids, online Web sites and cable pseudo-news shows feed the paranoia of the populace and create hysteria in the global village. Coincidences? No way! |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion